If you have been thinking about adding a garage to your property, you may think you can do it yourself and save money. However, it could easily turn into a bigger job than you expected. Unless you are a contractor or have a lot of experience with building, you should probably look into hiring a garage builder for help. If you are still not sure of which way to go, here are a few things to consider.

Building Codes and Permits

Depending on where you live, there will be different building permits and codes required. These requirements might have changed over time, so you need to be sure you understand the most recent ones. Professionals keep up with all of this, so they know exactly what is needed. This means that once everything is done, the new garage will pass any inspections so you won't have to take it down or do things over.

Climate

It can be difficult to determine the best and safest way to build a garage when there may be climate issues to consider. If you live in an area with a lot of rainfall or snow, you will need to do thing a little differently than a place that gets a lot of heat, wind, and or high temperatures. Professionals are used to building so that it will withstand the type of weather for your geographic area.

Electricity

You are probably going to want some lights and electrical outlets in the garage. Working with electricity is not something to undertake lightly. Even if you feel comfortable with doing the wiring and fixtures, you also need to consider the load it will put on your current breaker box. You do not want to keep tripping breakers every time you do anything in the garage. In addition, a professional knows how to do the wiring so that it conforms to all the codes and will not be the cause of a fire.

If you have still decided to build your own garage, you should at least hire a professional to draw up the plans, get all the permits, take care of the electrical work, and pour the foundation. Go ahead and do the construction with some friends, just be sure that you follow the plans exactly so everything is done to code. You may even ask the professional to come look at each step of the build everything will pass an inspection upon completion.

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